Our first-place large company winner, Legacy Mutual Mortgage, often has to go to work when the rest of us are watching football. But Legacy's employees play hard, too.
Gary Linville, vice president and manager of Legacy Mutual's Fort Worth branch, is quick to point out the company's low turnover.
“The thing I'm most proud of is loyalty,” says Linville, who owned a mortgage firm he sold to Legacy in 2011, marking that company's entry into Fort Worth. “I can walk you down the hall and tell you the years people have been here. It's a fun environment. People are friends.”
Linville attributes the company's growth and strength as a workplace to team play and dynamics, Legacy's coaching and its loan officers' savvy networking with “anybody who has the ability to refer business,” benefits, relaxed environment promulgated by senior management, and flexible hours.
“Some of it's teams; some of it's coaching,” he says. The company encourages employees to enjoy the flexibility in their hours, he says. “We do what we need to do. You need to stay relaxed, because this is a pretty intense business.
“There are things in the business that happen on the weekend.” A loan officer might get a call on Saturday, for example, from a real estate agent who needs to pre-qualify a prospect. Wait until Monday, and the opportunity's most likely lost to a competitor. “I was at the Texas–OU game and got a call,” Linville says. “It's a necessary evil. It happens in our industry, and it happens a lot.”
Legacy offers a bonus program for all team members, and it encourages team leaders to take their members on outings, like an afternoon at the State Fair. “We run hard, and it's just the business,” Linville says. “But with that comes some fun.”
Another enticing benefit: Telecommuting options. One of Linville’s team members lives in Austin, moving there after her husband was transferred. “She doesn’t even go into that office,” Linville says. “It’s 45 minutes away. We worked it out.”
Another of Linville's team members lives in Midlothian and telecommutes twice a week from home. “We just need to be flexible if it's the right person,” Linville says.
What they do:
Fort Worth branch of San Antonio mortgage lender originates, underwrites and closes conventional, FHA, VA, Texas Vet and USDA mortgage loans. Legacy lenders have access to internal funds for our clients' mortgage loans. Fort Worth office in September hit $150 million in loans so far for the year. Companywide, Legacy did $1.5 billion in loans last year.
Employees:
17 Fort Worth, 327 companywide
What employees love:
Collaboration among employees in loan production teams; annual retreat in San Antonio for loan officers; monthly incentives and team-building events; competitive benefits that include 100 percent of health premium paid and choice of health plans and short- and long-term disability; spirit days; monthly potlucks; holiday parties; telecommuting options; flexible hours.
Cool benefit:
Flexible hours
